Ennio Morricone with Joan Baez - "Sacco & Vanzetti" OST, LP, Album, 1971 (RCA)

An incredible score by Ennio Morricone with substantial assistance from Joan Baez on the theme song "Here's To You" as well on Part 1,2, and 3 of "The Ballad of Sacco & Vanzetti."  This is an album that is both lush with full orchestration as well as electronics and effects, from various members of Gruppo di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza, the free-form experimental band that consists of Morricone as well as a few of the musicians here Walter Bianchi, Gastone Chiarini with the vocal group I Contori Moderni arranged by Alessandroni.

I have never seen "Sacco & Vanzetti" so I can't comment on how the music is used in the film, but the album is very consistent with the music sung by Joan Baez (who also wrote the lyrics) and the experimental pieces.   I never heard Baez sing in such a modern or borderline avant-garde format, which reminds me of when Bryan Ferry or David Sylvian sings over electronic abstract mood music.  "The Electric Chair" with Sinket played by Walter Bianchi is a sound that one can imagine will go with the executioner's 'hot' chair.   There is a sense of sadness that runs through the album, and the relationship between the 'pop' "Here's To You" mixed in with something like "Electric Chair" is a startling exploration between the melody and ambient sounds.

The Weirdos - "Destroy All Music" Vinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Green Vinyl, 2007 (Bomp)

Being a music fan in Los Angeles in the late 1970s was a lot of fun.  At the time we had DEVO, The Screamers, X, LAFMS, and a variety of other artists doing recordings and shows.  My favorite band was The Screamers, and perhaps because they are the most 'rare' of those bands, in that they never released a proper studio recording.  As a live show, they were as great as great can be.  Another band that I enjoyed live was The Weirdos.  I'm not sure of where they came from.  At one time I thought or heard that they were from Cal-Arts, but I'm not too sure about that.  They had a strong visual sensibility, not unlike The Screamers, but more rooted in the tradition of rock n' roll.  To me, they weren't really a "Punk" band, but a well-crafted band who could write songs, and this album clearly shows that aspect of their work/talent. 

"Destroy All Music" is a compilation of recordings that The Weirdos made in the late 1970s.  The first side consists of demos, and "Destroy All Music" EP, and side two is their fantastic "Who? What? When? Where? Why?" six-song 12" EP.   I like side one, but it's side two that shows off the strength of The Weirdos.  I suspect that they shared an aesthetic and love of music with the British band Clash, especially on their first album.  It's rootsy but with classic songwriting touches, I think mostly due to the talent and skill of Cliff Roman with the brothers Dix and John Denney.  The Weirdos are not as brilliant as The Screamers or DEVO (at their height in the mid-70s), but they can deliver a classic garage rock sound that is very much of that era.   "Who? What? When? Where? Why?" is very much wonderful in its recording, and it is a series of moments that showed promise and even perfection. 

Gérard Manset - "Le Train du Soir" Vinyl, LP, Album, France, 1981 (EMI)

I know almost nothing about Gérard Manset, except that he's French, songwriter, artist/photographer and made some remarkable music.   I discovered him during the heights of music being on the Internet, and one could download songs/albums on various collector's websites.  I made a note to myself that I should find myself a hard copy of Manset's "Le Train du Soir" as soon as possible. It took me five years, but I found a used vinyl copy in Paris, and I think it's a remarkable album. 

People find it hard to believe, but I don't know the French language except for specific words and a general over-all menu in a cafe.  Still, I have a life-long fascination with anything French, especially literature and cinema.  French pop music was a recent discovery, perhaps 20 years ago when I came upon Serge Gainsbourg. That opened up a whole avenue of artists for me to explore and purchase for the next decade or so.  Still, even in those terms, Gérard Manset is an unknown figure outside of the French-speaking world. 

I get the impression that he's very independent minded, and is skilled as an arranger and musician.  I know he has worked with massive orchestrations on previous and future albums from "Le Train du Soir."  What makes this record so good are the songs, and although they were recorded in 1981, it sounds very 70s to me.  It also reminds me of studio minded artists like Emit Rhoades or Nillson in that there's a great deal of songcraft that goes in his work.  This is without a doubt a rock album, but it is such an album that has music history attached to its presence. 

Not knowing the language thoroughly, I'm sure there is the context within the music that is beyond my knowledge, still, on a listening experience, it's an excellent way of spending 40 minutes or so. There are six songs, including the 12-minute length of "Marchand de Rêves (Dream Merchant)," which is a series of melodies that fit in the song itself.  My favorite cut on the album is "Les Loups (Wolves)" which is a perfect build-up of melody and passion.   I'm frustrated that there seems to be no information in English about this unique artist, but alas, give me time. 

Morrissey - "This is Morrissey" Vinyl, LP, Compilation, 2018 (Parlophone/Regal)

This is the Morrissey I love.   Not the guy who is giving opinions out like he's a Donald Trump, but the brilliant songwriter, performer, and quite aware of recorded music history.  "This is Morrissey" is a new compilation of music of his the late solo 1980s/early 1990s material.  Seeing this album, I know there are traces of the great wit/artist that is still with us.  As if one who either reads Discogs as a narrative or is a fan of Morrissey, there are a lot of compilations of his music out in the market.  On one level, and on a surface one at that, it seems he floods the market of releases perhaps for the financial stake in doing so.  Which may be true, but it is also the aesthetic of Morrissey to do a compilation album like this.

The label, Regal is very old school compilation where they released music by an artist, and usually not expensive to purchase on a consumer front.  "This is Morrissey, just cost me under $20, and the selection of his music is excellent.  I'm not sure if Morrissey himself selected the songs/tracks or someone from his record label/management, but whoever did an excellent job.  The key tracks to purchase "This is Morrissey" is the Ron Mael/Russell  Mael remix of "Suedehead," which is really the bastard child of Sparks and Morrissey. It's already a beautiful song, but Ron and Russell give it another dimension, and in their mix, they make it into a Sparks piece - but still in spirit, very much of Morrissey.  It is one of the great re-mix recordings, just because it's not a DJ overshadowing the artist, but another artist's approach to something that is already fantastic. It is never meant to replace the original.  The other great song here is "Whatever Happens, I Love You," which initially was on another compilation album, and I'm not sure if it was ever released as a single, or b-side, but it is one of the Morrissey classics.  Beautiful production, and just a wonderful Alain Whyte collaboration with the singer. 

Morrissey's brilliance is not always just the music.  His witty appreciation for the practices of record labels from the 1960s and so forth is very much honored here with this release.  It's Morrissey looking back at his past, and his habitual record buying practices.  So yes, one may have these songs in different formats, but I feel Morrissey is sincere in that he wants to present these collections as an art object, or a work to be admired or thought of in such manner. Even the liner notes which are in French shows an absolute love for the medium.  And this is the Morrissey I love.  

Canned Heat - "On The Road Again" b/w "Time Was" 7" 45 rpm Single, 1968 (United Artists Records)

I spent my late childhood and teenage years in Topanga Canyon, and one of the bands that were attracted to that area of the world was Canned Heat.  On one level, a blues band that had a student like obsession with the blues and its culture.  Then again, a song like "On The Road Again," mainly written by founding member Alan (Al) Wilson, who wasn't usually their lead singer, and based on a blues song by Floyd Jones.  It's a stunning and extraordinary record.

For one, it's a very intimate and almost a quiet recording.  Wilson's vocals are closed mike and its eerie in its sound of loneliness and despair.  A happy-go-lucky its ain't.  The other unique aspect of the song is that there is something like a drone string instrument that runs through the entire song.  Researching the record, I found its a tambura, which is an instrument from Central Asia.  It seems that the original version by Floyd Jones also had a drone sounding instrument on his release as well.

Minimal arrangement plus the drone is an interesting relationship within the song, and also its depressive tone makes "On The Road Again" a very unique record of its time and place.  Alan Wilson died a few years later in Topanga Canyon, where they found his body in a sleeping bag by a tree outside his home.

Joe Cocker - "Marjorine" b/w "New Age of the Lily" 45 rpm Single, 1968 (A&M)

Joe Cocker, the Britsh rhythm n' blues singer, who is an iconic figure in the rock n' roll world of the late 1960s and early 1970s also made a classic pop record as well.   "Marjorine" was my favorite cut on Cocker's first album "With a Little Help From My Friends."  I bought the album because the cover photo of Cocker was cool, and as a teenager into the product, I also liked the fact that famous musicians played on this album.  The range of talent is amazing, and I remember listening to the album, to notice the difference between Jimmy Page and Albert Lee on "Marjorine."  Throughout the album, you had musicians such as Tony Visconti, Carol Kaye (grand studio bassist), B.J. Wilson & Matthew Fisher of Procol Harum,  Steve Winwood,  and my favorite rock n' roll drummer Clem Cattini.  How can this album fail?

"With A Little Help From My Friends" is one of the first 'superstar' players on one album, that marketed itself in a fashion, where one is aware of the backing musicians behind Cocker. Also, this first album has many great versions of incredible songs, and the choices that were made were wise and totally practical in Cocker's manner and voice.   Still, the one song that impressed me the most was "Marjorine" which is a song co-written by Cocker.  It stands out compared to the rest of the album, because for one it is an original song, in an album of mostly covers, and those songs I was already familiar with, especially "Bye Bye Blackbird" (classic American songbook material), and "Feeling Alright" by Dave Mason when he was in Traffic.  Still, "Marjorine" had its own power, in that it's a beautiful melody, but performed with vigor by Cocker's voice, and the duo guitars of Page and Lee. Beautifully produced by  Denny Cordell. It's shocking to me that this song was not a radio hit of the time of its released.  I'm thrilled that I found this 45 rpm single in Rockaway Records here in Silver Lake.